Top 5 tips on how to get an acting agent

The acting industry is one of the hardest industries to get into as there are such few roles for the large number of actors available. In this article I have listed my top five tips for beginners on how to get an agent and what to expect when you do so.

1. Spotlight profile. Getting an agent is something that quite a lot of actors find challenging as it takes a fair amount of determination and perseverance. If you are one of these people then my recommendation to you would to be to get a Spotlight profile. Spotlight charges around £150 to set up a profile but it is worth the money as you can find auditions through it, promote yourself and it is a useful thing to have access to when you approach agents. In order to be eligible to create a Spotlight profile you must have either an Acting degree, have drama school training or have at least 5 professional acting credits.

2. Finding the right agent. Do some research into different acting agencies. If you are finding it hard to find specific agencies that interest you then you can look into actors that inspire you or who are doing the kind of roles that you are interested in and see who is representing them.

3. Emailing agents. When you are emailing agents you should keep your email short and to the point as agents often get loads of actors emailing about representation every day and don’t always have the time to read through really long emails. If you have an acting job make sure you mention it early in the email, if you don’t have an acting job then don’t worry! Remember to include your headshot, a copy of your CV and a link to your showreel and Spotlight page so they are easy to access.

4. If you are lucky enough to receive an email back from an agent who wants to meet you then it is important that you develop a good professional relationship with them. The agent will usually invite you for a meeting at their office before deciding whether or not they will add you to their books. However, because of COVID-19 that meeting may not happen face to face and could be held using Zoom or WhatsApp for example.

5. If you don’t hear back from an agent then don’t be dis-hearted, most of the time it isn’t anything personal and it will most likely be because their books are full. If you have a Spotlight page then you can call Spotlight and explain to them that you’re looking for an agent and see if they can offer any advice or if they can recommend any agencies for you to try.